Today we’d like to introduce you to Rita Ng.
Rita, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I founded Boston Bonbon in late 2014 with $5000 in savings, and a pure desire to bring happiness to people – one Macaron at a time! We started off at a farmers market stand, and slowly build our following.
I am constantly running around doing production, sales, marketing, web design and customer support, as I run my business as a one-woman show. This schedule is certainly very different from my previous life, when I was an Android programmer for cell phone apps. Knowing there was a void inside of me, I forged toward entrepreneurship and strive to make a difference. Last year, I quit corporate America and focused full-time on Boston Bonbon. We feel very fortunate that our sales have doubled since then and we have been featured in The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Channel 7, Cohasset Wicked Local, Arlington Wicked Local and Scout Somerville.
Recently I opened a store in Cohasset, called Made in MA. It has a small storefront and kitchen where we make the French macarons in house for retail, catering and wholesale. We are now in 12 cafes, hotels and specialty stores throughout Boston, Jamaica Plain, Somerville, and Brookline. In addition, the store sells all things made locally in MA, with the concept of bringing the farmers market to your local neighborhood. Our kitchen also acts as a small food incubator where budding food entrepreneurs can rent it by hour. We host classes and events at the store, from Chocolate Truffle making classes to Macaron+Bubbly Pairing events. We want to support fellow entrepreneurs and help build a community that supports small businesses!
Has it been a smooth road?
Since the town that I live in do not allow licensed home kitchen, I started off using a commissary kitchen in Jamaica Plain. I used to drive from Quincy to Natick for work during the day, and then drive back to JP to bake after work. It is truly the “traffic triangle” from Hell! On average, I will spend about 3 to 4 hours a day in the car!
With that said, I don’t get to sleep a lot. Usually 4 to 5 hours at the most each night. There are so many times I fell asleep making French macarons. I would be piping the fillings of the macarons (sitting down), and then woke up in the middle of it, only to find myself still holding the piping bag in the same position.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Boston Bonbon – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Boston Bonbon specializes in making French macarons in Unique flavors like Mango Lassi, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Maple Bacon, Funfetti and many more! We are constantly making new flavors!
All of our macarons are Gluten Free. We also make Dairy Free and Vegan macarons!
We hand-make all our macarons from SCRATCH, with No Preservatives, Cage-free eggs and the best ingredients we can find.
I think what sets us apart from our competitors is our creativity, quality and customer service. We have delivered to a place with no entrance (in the dark)! We are known for our Pop-ups where we like to push our creativity to the limit, ranging from Hello Kitty macaron popups to Beer/Cider Macaron Pairing events. We offer a lot of customization from custom shapes, logos, colors and flavors. Basically, if you can come up with an idea, we will make it happen! Our Macaron-of-the-Month Subscription program is a good example. We ship anywhere in the USA! Each month, our subscribers will receive a box of 12 carefully curated macarons with flavors that are only available for that month. Imagine flavors like: gingerbread man, orange blossom, mango lassi, red velvet, s’mores, cookie dough, birthday cake, peanut butter & jelly.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I LOVE Boston! Boston is so dynamic and international! There are always cool things happening in the city! And yet, it’s such a tight-knit city, where everyone is six-degree connected! Friends I make here are for life! Truly, Boston Strong! Great seafood and coastal life is definitely where my heart’s at!
I think most people will agree with me that traffic in Boston can definitely put a damper on your mood sometimes! It drives me crazy that it can take up to 2 hours just to get from Cambridge to Quincy!
Pricing:
- French Macarons (3 in a box) $7
- French Macarons (6 in a box) $13
- French Macarons Subscription (1 month starts at $30 includes Prority shipping + icepacks)
Contact Info:
- Address: 103 Ripley Road, Suite 1,
Cohasset MA 02025 - Website: http://www.bostonbonbon.com
- Phone: 203-243-0699
- Email: bostonbonbon@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bostonbonbon
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bostonbonbon
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bostonbonbon
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/boston-bonbon-arlington-2
- Other: http://www.facebook.com/madeinmaboston
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
